Automatic sampler for liquid hydrocarbon streams



0d. 27, 1953 A w, KESTNER 2,656,725

AUTOMATIC SAMPLER FOR LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAMS Filed May 26, 1951' L oLL.:c-rmc-, I Daessuaaj QEGULATOXZ5 VOLUME; Mamcumv DlfiPLACEMLNT Jpsea;

L'LLL'anQ Y2K sthef alter 6.Koh aldl: snvaabor's Donn-Le, .bamilzler CLbbor'nag Patented Oct. 27, 1953 AUTOMATIC SAMPLER FOR LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAMS William N. Kestner, Walter C. Kohfeldt, and Lowrie C. Barillier, Baton Rouge, La., assignors to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 26, 1951, Serial No. 228,502

The present invention relates to an apparatus or system for collecting liquids for the purpose of subsequently analyzing the collected samples.

The quality of the fluids obtained in the commercial production of many liquids will vary greatly during different periods of their manufacture, although the production rate may be nearly constant. It will be appreciated therefore, that a sample of a liquid taken at one ste or stage of its manufacture would not be truly representative of the quality throughout the entire period of production or flow of such liquid, from the source at which it is being manufactured. At one period of its manufacture it may be very rich, at another period very lean.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive means for the collection of a representative sample of liquid flowing through a line over a period of time.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for collecting a liquid sample at the existing pressure in the line through which the liquid is flowing.

A still further objectof this invention is to provide a liquid sampling device in which the sampled liquid does not pass through the sampling device, reducing explosion hazard when explosive liquids are being handled.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then comprises the features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointedout in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

Referring now to the drawing, l represents the main line through which the liquid medlumto be sampled flows. Connected to this line through line 2 is a sample chamber 3. A line 4, provided with pressure regulators 5 connects chamber 3 with motor valves 8 and I, such as conventional diaphragm operated motor valves. The actual valve mechanisms 8 may be of a needle valve type or any other type adapted for use in small size (small diameter) equipment. The motor portions 9 may be of any suitable design such as the standard flexible diaphragm motor operated by fluid pressure, as air pressure. The flexible diaphragms I0 are attached in conventional manner to valve stems and accordingly the needle closure portions 8 are opened or closed. These valves may be spring loaded, as by springs l2. As shown in the drawing. each 2 Claims. (Cl. 73422) spring [2 serves as a tension spring and is so adjusted as to hold the valve needle. in a normally closed position. Upon application of instrument air pressure to the under side of the diaphragms, the valve stems, II are raised to open the valves to the flow of fluid, the springs I! being accordingly subjected to somewhat greater tensions. When the instrument air pressure is released, the normal tension of the springs moves the valve needles into their normally closed position.

Motor valves 6 and I are connected by line I3. Lines l4 and I5 connect motor valve 1 with collecting pot l6. Collecting pct 16 is provided with vent line I! and sample chamber 3 is provided with vent line I8 (normally closed).

A timing apparatus [9 such as atime cycle controller is shown as a means for controlling the several motor valves according to predetermined time intervals. While this time cycle controller may be any type or kind of controller desired, it is obviously only necessary that it be capable of performing the desired operationsin a satisfactory manner. By this, we meanthat the controller may be electrically operated or it may be operated by a spring operated clocli mechanism. Time cycle controllers operate according to pins, placed in holes around the circumference of a rotating plate.

Thus by inserting pins into these holes over certain time intervals said pins,. 7 upon rotation of the plate, cooperate with other;

mechanism of the controller to permit how of instrument air to such control apparatus as the air operated motor valves 8 and l.

Such time cycle controllers are standard industrial equipment and may be purchased from equipment dealers or directly from instrument manufacturers.

Instrument air from an air supply, not shown, comes by way of a line 20 and passes through an air pressure reducer or regulator 2| to reduce the air pressure to that required for operation of such motor valves. This regulator It also contains a strainer element for elimination of foreign material from the air previous to entrance into the cycle controller. Said cycle controller contains valves for transmitting air pressure from the inlet air line 20 to air control lines 22 and 23 and for closing off and exhausting air pressure from said lines 22 and 23. i

As shown in the drawing, these several air service lines transmit air pressure to the under side of the motor valve diaphragm members Ill so that an increase of instrument air pressure on the underside of said diaphragms will operate to raise the upper side of the diaphragms and operate to.

close the valves by compression of the spring I'2'.

Connected to line H by means of line 2 is a.

mercury pct 25. A manometer tube 28 provided with capillary 21 is connected by flexible line28 to mercury pct 25. A frittedf glass disk 29 pervious to air but impervious to mercury is fitted in the upper part of tube 26 below capillary Tl. By fixing the volume of mercury displaced, a constant sample withdrawal rate is insured. A calibration mark 30 is made on the lower part of tube 26.

clamp 31 fitted with screw adjustment is provided at an upper portion of tube 26 to adjust elevation thereof to bring the mercury level therein exactly to'calibration mark 3 0.

f In. order to adapt the apparatus for the collection. of liquid, the vessel 3 is first filled with a displacement liquid such aswater and vessel 25' with mercury.

In. the operation of this, invention instrument air from line 20 passes through cycle controller I9, air line 23. to. the under side of diaphragm [05 in motor valve 6. Air pressure at this point opens the; valve needle 8 against the tension of spring I 2. Under-these conditions liquid to be sampled flows. from line [to vessel. 3 and displaced liquid flows through line 4. through valve 6. and lines [3 and" 24 into vessel, 25 displacing mercury into manometer tube 2,6 to fritted disk 29. The control clock. I9 holds valve 6 open. for such a predetermined time as is desired, valve I remaining closed.- ,At the end of, this time the cycle clock operates to permit closing of valve 6 andshortly after the opening, of valve '1. As soon as this is accomplished the mercury in tube 26 forces the water out. of vessel '25. through; valve 1 intovessel l6 .whereitis measured. The volume: of water in vessel litthenv represents the volumes of the sample in vessel 3.

It is-clear from the above description that simple, inexpensivedevice hasbeen provided for the collection of; liquid; samples at the existing line pressure without, danger of explosion in case inflammable liquids are being handled. Furthermore, the-functioning of the sample can be visually, inspected throughout the entire operation merely by' observing the mercury in the glass manometertube assembly. By providing a large number ofi-nterchangeable; manometer tubes receive .a body of sealing liquid displaceable by thesample as" collected, a sample inlet conduit opening into said container, a collector vessel for collecting displaced sealing liquid from said sample container, a transfer conduit connection between said container outlet and the collector vessel, anauxiliary receiver for displaced sealing liquid intermediate saidrcontainer and the vessel for displacedsealing liquid, said auxiliary receiver having one sidedirectly connected into saidtransfer conduit;..a first'motor valve in said transfer conduit disposed upstream from the connection of said auxiliary receiver to said transfer conduit, a second motor valve in said transfer conduit downstream from the connection of said aux.- iliary receiver to said transfer conduit, means for actuating said first and second motor valves to open. and close alternately and in sequence, and means connected to the other side of said receiver for displacing the sealing liquid introduced there into from said sample container into said collector vessel. v

2. A system according to claim 1, in which said means for displacing the sealing liquid into said collector vessel comprises a body of mercury contained by saidauxiliary receiver, a manometer tube havingv one end'connected to the bottom of siid receiver and adapted to receive said mercury when the latter isdisplaced by sealing liquid, said tube being ventedto the atmosphere at its other end, and a means in saidv tube for limiting the volume of mercury displaceable into said tube.

WILLIAM N. KESTNER. WALTER C KOHFELDI. LOWRIE C.

References Cited. in. the, file of thisatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 'Date 2,091,613 Polston Aug. 31; 19-37 2 ,245,679 Kelley L June 17-, 1941 2,489,394 Austin Nov. 29, 1949 2,534,489 Webber et a1. Dec, 19, -0 Breedloveet al. Sept. 2, 1952 

